Ratatouille – Sort of – In a hurry

Here is a simple vegetable recipe that doesn’t require much work and can be prepared in advance for several meals.

I could have made this in the le Creuset pot but i was also cooking a beef and lentil curry so i made do with a large glass Pyrex dish.

This will be tasty served with white fish, poached/ fried eggs, or chicken and optional carbs on the side if needed such as brown or basmati rice, quinoa, mashed potato or baked potato or sweet potato.

Cottage cheese will also blend well on the side of this Ratatouille. If you are a condiments queen or king as myself then pesto or fresh herbs (e.g. basil) will add even more flavour to this dish.

Ingredients:

Onions – i used two red onions and sliced them into larger chunks

1 red chilli – finely sliced

Garlic – 1 to 2 cloves minced

Red pepper – washed and roughly chopped

1 can of chopped tomatoes

3 or 4 organic tomatoes – chopped

Mixed dried herbs or herbes de provence – approximately 1-2 teaspoons

Dried thyme – approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

Smoked paprika – approximately 1 teaspoon

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Aubergine – washed and chopped into rough cubes

Courgette – washed and chopped into rough cubes

Celery – several sticks washed and sliced

Aubergine plant

Celery plant

Paprika pepper plant

Instructions:

Saute your onions, garlic, and chili in some extra virgin olive oil/ rapeseed oil or coconut oil until soft. Add your red pepper and saute for a few more minutes. Then add your canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, herbs, smoked paprika and seasoning. Mix through on the heat for a few minutes (you can skip this step if in a hurry).

Place the cubed aubergine, courgette, and celery in a large casserole or Pyrex dish (preferably one with a lid). Then add the cooked vegetables. Mix through a little, cover with the lid, and place in a preheated oven at approximately 160-180 C for 40-60 minutes or until all the vegetables are simmering and cooked through.